Paper-file.



No. 864,083. PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

L. A. GRANSTON.

PAPER FILE. APPLICATION FILED HARAS, 1905. RENEWED JAN. 29. 1901.

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No. 864,083. PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

' L. A. GRANSTON.

PAPER FILE. APPLICATION FILED MAB. 13, 1905. RENEWED JAN. 29, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

PAPER-FILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed March 13, 1905, Serial No. 249,893. Renewed January29, 1907. Serial No. 354,748.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEsmE A. ORANSTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gibson City, in the county of Ford and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Files; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for filing letters,papers and the like, and more particularly in file-cabinets andfile-boxes therefor.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and efiicientcabinet of this character in which the file-boxes or receptacles will besupported upon slides so that when the latter are pulled out of thecabinet, ready and convenient access may be had to the contents of thefile-boxes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and comparativelyinexpensive file-box which may be shipped in knock-down form, that is,in sections and which may be quickly and easily assembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivemeans for making the file-boxes and cabinet dust-proof.

A further object of my invention is to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of devices of this character and therebyrender them more convenient and durable in use and less expensive tomanufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, com bination and arrangement of parts,as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a filecabinet constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2.is avertical front to rear sectional view through the same; Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view taken in a plane at right angles to that of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated bythe line 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the fileboxes removed from the cabinet; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one ofthe slides for supporting the file-boxes, and Fig. 7 is a rear end viewof the same.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes my improved file-cabinetwhich may be constructed of any suitable material and in any desiredsize and form, but which, as illustrated, comprises two sides 2 and 3connected by a top 4, and, if desired, by a back 5 and bottom 6, theseparts thus forming a casing with an open front. Secured upon the innerfaces of the sides 2 and 3 by screws or other fastening means are pairsof horizontally disposed L-shaped angle barsl or strips 7 which formsupporting guides for a series of slides or sliding shelves 8 upon whichare removably supported file-boxes or receptacles 9. Said slides 8 slidefreely upon the guides 7, so that the file-boxes 9 may be moved into andout of the casing or cabinet, the fronts of said file-boxes while thelatter are within the cabinet, close the open front of the same, asshown. In order to keep the slides upon the guides and prevent theformer from tilting downwardly under the weight of the file-boxes andtheir contents, when the slides are pulled out of the cabinet (as one isshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings), transversely extending strips 10 areprovided upon the under faces of the slides at their rear or inner ends.Said strips 10 are spaced from the slides by blocks 11, so that theirends 12 form jaws which engage the under sides of the L-shaped angleguides 7. Said strips 10 also prevent the slides from being pulledentirely out of the cabinet, by engaging stops 13 when said slides aredrawn out sufficiently to entirely expose the file-boxes upon them. Saidstops 13 are in the form of transversely extending, horizontallydisposed strips which connect the front portions of the sides 2 and 3 ofthe cabinet and form spacing bars between each two adjacent file-boxes.Upon the upper faces of the slides are secured front and rear,transversely extending strips 14 and 15 between which the file-boxes areplaced to prevent endwise movement of the file-boxes upon the slideswhen the latter are pulled out or pushed into the cabinet. The width ofsaid file-boxes corresponds to that of the slides or the space betweenthe sides 2 and 3, so that the latter are snugly engaged by the sides ofthe file-boxes to prevent the entrance of dust into the cabinet. Uponthe front edge of each of the slides is secured a finger or hand pull 16by means of which the slide may be readily moved.

The file-boxes or receptacles 9 used in connection with the file-cabinetjust described, may be of any desired construction, but I prefer to usesuch as are shown in the drawing. Each of the same, as clearly shown inFig. 5, comprises front and rear ends 18 and 19 and two sides 20, whichends and sides are connected by angle metal corner strips 21 secured inposition as shown, by headed tacks or nails 22, the pointed ends ofwhich are bent after being driven into place. The bottom 23 of saidfile-box is formed with an upturned flange or rim 24 which engages theouter faces of the sides and ends 20, 19, 18 and is secured thereon byfastening means 25, as shown. By constructing the file-boxes in thismanner, they may be conveniently shipped in knock-down form and thenassembled when it is desired to use them.

If desired a suitable card holder or slide 26, may be provided upon thefront 18 of each of the file-boxes. Any desired means (not illustrated)may be provided within the file-boxes for holding, separating, indexingll etc. the letters, papers or other contents of the fileboxes.

In order to render the file-boxes and the cabinet as dust-proof aspossible, strips of felt or other flexible material 27 are providedalong the upper portion of the inner face of the front 18 of eachfile-box, so thatit engages one of the stop strips 13 when the file-boxis in its closed position. Said strips of felt 27 are secured in metalstrips 28 (as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings) and the latter are nailedor otherwise secured to the fileboxes, as shown.

From time to time the file-boxes become filled with dead matter and itis desired to store them away and substitute empty boxes. To permit thisto be done Without removing the contents of the boxes, I provide a cover30 for each of the file-boxes. Said covers 30 which are not employedwhen the file-boxes are used in the cabinet, are identical inconstruction with the bottoms 23 of the said boxes, and they are kept ina space 31 within the base of the cabinet. This space 31 is formed bysecuring the lowermost pair of guides 7 at a suitable distance above thebottom 6 and by securing a front board or plate 32 upon the sides 2 and3. Said covers which are piled one on top of the other as shown, may beinserted through the open front of the cabinet when the lowermostfile-box is removed, or if desired a suitable door may be provided inthe front board or plate 31. When one of the file-boxes becomes full itmay be removed and closed by one of the covers 30,

and a new file-box. may be substituted in the cabinet for it.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A file-cabinet comprising a suitable support, guides upon saidsupport, a slide upon said guides, a stop at the front of said support,spaced jaws at the rear of said slide slidably engaged with said guidesand adapted to engage said stop to limit the outward movement of saidslide, and a file receptacle removably mounted upon said slide,substantially as described. I

2. A file-cabinet comprising suitably spaced sides, L- shaped angleguides upon the inner faces of said sides, a slide supported upon saidguides, a spaced transverse strip upon the underside of said slidehaving its ends forming jaws to engage and slide upon said guides, atransverse strip connecting said sides at their front and adapted to beengaged by said strip upon said slide to limit the outward movement ofthe latter, front and rear transverse strips secured upon the upper sideof said slide, a file-box removably mounted upon said slide between saidfront and rear transverse strips and a hand pull upon said slide,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LESLIE A. CRANSTON.

Witnesses J. Y. SHAMEL, BRYSON STRAUSS.

